Expanding pulley



F. -D. FOWLER May 31, 1932.

EXPANDING PULLEY 2 Sheets-Sheet Fa L fl fwZ/c/f Filed Feb. 27, 1928 May1932.

EXPANDING PULLEY 2 eets-g Patented May 31', 1932 i s'rArEs E DELAWAREEXPANDING PULLEY FRED n. FOWLER, oENEw'roE; MAssAcHUs rrs;assrerton, BYSMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '1'0 noon RUBBER oomrnummc, 0E wrrrrrncrom DELAWARE,A conrom'rron Application filed February 27, 1928. Serial No. 257,230,

2 This invention relatesto. an expanding pulley, and has torfits objectto provide a maybe used for. the purpose of varying the speed pulley-ofthe character mentioned which of slow running conveyor belts. r

y The invention contemplates in its construction the employment of novelmeans for in.- creasing and decreasing the diameter of the pulley,together Iwith a means for support ing the central port on of theperiphery, of

the pulley; I 7

- Theinvention consists in an expanding pulley as set forthinthefollowingflspecification,' and particularly as pointed outjin the 7Referring to the drawings; 2

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation as taken on the line1-1 ofFig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows on-said line.

Fig. 2 is atransverse section taken onthe line 2 2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 vis a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig; 1. I V a ILike numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

Inthe drawings,, 5 represents a pair ofoppositely disposed end members awhich are se-' curely clamped a predetermined distance apart by aplurality of tie rods 6 and nuts 7 Each end member 5 embodies therein atrun nion 8 which isadapted to rotate in a bearing 9. A driving. member,preferably a sprocket 10;, is rigidly secured in any suitable manner toone of the'end members 5.

Ashaft .11 is'rotatably mounted at its op-.

posite endsin the. end members 5. Rigidly secured mule shaft 11 adjacentto each of the end members5 is a screw-threaded sleeve 12.

r The sleeves are oppositely disposed to each other uponthe shaft 11,oneof said sleeves being 'threaded left-hand. and the other of tiallyenclosed- The guide member 24 has said sleeves being threaded righthand.

Mounted upon each of the sleeves 12' and having screw-threadedengagement therewith is a pyramidal adjusting member 13 having aplurality '01": flat inclinedv sides 14.

and pyramidal member .13. L

i is located in its closed or contracted position,

there beingthe same number ofgrooves as there are, flat. sidesof thepyramidal membe-rs. The grooves 22 are located'in alignwithin'thisflange are a plurality of supports shaped groove and tongue providerasliding interlocking connection between theshoes 16 Rig'idly secured atits'opposite ends to the opposite-shoes 16 of each pyramidal member 13is a slat-19 constituting a segmental section. :The sections 19 may beconstructed of either wood or metal, .and constitute the periphery ofthe-pulley, and when the latter the sides ofadj acentsections abutone'against another. as illustrated inFigs. 2 and 3 to form a perfectcylinder.

Also rigi'lly secured to the shaft 11 between 7b the sleeves 12isanotherscrew-threaded sleeve '20, the screw threads being of the samesize and character as are provided upon the lefthand sleeve '12.;Mounted upon the sleeve 20 is a tapered .member 21, preferably having'75 an inclined periphery having the same degree of taper asidoes theleft-hand pyramidal I member 13. -A pluralityot. grooves 22 are providedin the periphery ofthe. member 21,

mentwiththe grooves of the pyramidal members; and the inclination ofthegrooves 22 must be exactly the same as the inclination. of the grooves15'. r I I IMounted upon" the shaft 11 between an extremity of thesleeve and a collar 23 which is rigidly secured to saidshaftis acylindrical guide member 245 having a recess 25 within which thetaperedmember 21 is para flange 26 projecting outwardly therefrom at one endthereof, and slidablymounted 27 each of which has. a shank 28 whichextends through the guide member 24 and into a groove 22 of the tapered,member 21, the inner extremity, of said shank contacting with the bottomof the groove 22.: The outer 'The tie rods 6 also project through theopposite pyramidal membersli with which they have a sliding fit therebyreventing said members from being rotated upon their respective sleeves12. When the sleeves 12 are rotatedto expand or contract the pulley, the

pyramidal members will slide toward each other upon the tie rods. p

The shaft 11 is rotated within the end membets 5 by means of a handwheel29. The general operation of the device hereinbefore specificallydescribed is as follows Assuming that the pulley is in its closed orcontracted position, asillustrated in the various figures of'thedrawings, and it is desired to increase the diameter of said pulley, the

hand wheel 29 is rotated in the proper direction to force the pyramidalmembers v13 toward each other upon their respective sleeves 12.-Duringthe inward movement of the pyramidal members, the inclinedsurfaces 14 ofsaid members will co-operate with the oppositely disposedinclined surfaces 17 of the shoes 16 to force the latter radiallyoutwardly. It is evident that this outward movement will be limited bythe length'and degree of taper of the inclined surfaces. As the shoes'16 move outwardly the edges of adjacent segmental" sections 19 willseparate, leaving 'a space therebetween and it is evident that at suchtimes the pulley will not be a true cylinder. This condition, however,will not afl'ect the operation of the pulley in any way. When the shaft10 is rotated to expand the pulley, the sleeve 20 will also be rotatedto movethe tapered member 21 toward the right hand pyramidal member 13,and the inclination of the groove 22 being the same as that of thegroove 15, the support27'will be forced outwardly the same amount thatthe shoes 16 areforced outwardly so that the central portion of each ofthe segmental strips 19 will be engaged at all times, and when thesegmental strips are constructed of wood, they will be prevented frombeing sprung. in-

wardly.

It is'evident that in narrow faced pulleys, the central strengtheningmechanism may be omitted if it is so desired. l i

In decreasing the diameter of the pulley,

the hand wheel 29 is operated to rotate the shaft 11 and sleeves 12 and20 in an opposite pulley.

I claim:

i 1. An expanding pulley having, in combination, a pair of end members,tie rods spaced from the pulley axis and secured tosaid end direction tothat required forexpanding the members, a pair of oppositely disposedtapered members slidably engaging said tie rods, shoes slidably mountedupon said tapered members, segmental sections fast to the shoes andconstituting the periphery of the pulley, and means rotatable withhiboth of the tapered members to impart alongitudinal movement theretowhereby the shoes are moved radially thereon to vary the (ii of thepulley. v I

2. An expanding pulley having, in combination, a pair of end membersrotatable in bearings, tie rods for said end members, a driving elementsecured to one of said members, a pair of oppositely disposed taperedmembers, shoes having sliding interlocking engagement with said taperedmembers, segmental sections fast to'the shoes and constituting theperiphery of the pulley, and means rotatable within both of the ta edmembers and adapted to impart a longitudinal movementthereto whereby theshoes are moved radially thereon to vary the diameter ment is impartedto the tapered members and the shoes are moved radially thereon to varythe diameter of the pulley.

4. An expanding pulley having, in combination, a pair of end members,tie'rods for said end members, a pairof oppositely (lis posed pyramidalmembers slidably engaging said tie rods and provided with grooves uponthe flat sides thereof, shoes slidably mounted upon the flat sides ofsaid pyramidal members and having tongues located within the groovesthereof, slats fast to the shoes and constituting the periphery of thepulley, sleeves having screwrthreaded. engagement with the taperedmembers, and means to rotate said sleeves to move the same toward oraway from each other simultaneously whereby a longitudinal movementisimparted to the tapered members and the shoes are moved radially thereonto vary the diameter of. the pulley. I I

5. An expanding pulley having, in combination, a pair of end members,tie rods for said end members, a pair of oppositely disposed taperedmembers slidablyengaging said tie rods, shoes slidably mounted upon saidtapered members, segmental sections fast to the shoes and constitutingthe periphery ofthe pulley, another tapered member,-a radially of theshaft on axial movement of guide member, intermediate'supports for eachsaid adjusting members. I I

of said segmental sections slidably mounted In testimony whereof I havehereunto set i in said guide member for movement radially my hand. ofthe pulley and engaging said last-named VFYREDD. FOWLER. 70

tapered member, and means to impart'a longi tudlnal movement to all ofsald tapered mem: bers in unison, whereby said sections are 'movedradially to vary the diameter of the I pulley and the intermediatesupportsfor the sections are continually held in engagement therewith. v

6. An expandingpulley having, in combination, a pair of end members, tierods for said end members, apair of oppositely disposed tapered membersprovided with guideways thereon, shoes slidably mounted upon saidguideways,,segmental sections fast to the shoes and constituting theperiphery of the pulley, another tapered member, a guide member,intermediate supports for each of said sections slidably mounted in saidguide member for movement radially of the pulley and engaging saidlast-named tapered member, and means comprising a shaft rotatable insaid end members and said guide member to impart a longitudinal movementto all of said tapered members in unison, whereby the sections are movedradially-to vary the diameter of the pulley and the intermediatesupports for the sections are continually held 7 in engagementtherewith.

7 A11 expanding pulley having, in combination, a pair of endmembers, tierods for said end members, a pair of oppositely disposed tapered membersslidably engaging said tie rods, shoes slidably'mounted upon saidtapered members, segmental sections fast to the shoes and constitutingthe periphcry of the pulley, another tapered member, a]

guide member, intermediate supports for each of said segmental sectionsslidably mounted in said guide member for movement radially of thepulley and engaging said lastnamed tapered member, sleeves havingscrewthrea'ded engagement with the tapered members, and means to rotateall of said sleeves in unison wherebya longitudinal movementis impartedto all ofth'e tapered members, the shoes being moved radially to varythe diameter of the pulley, and the intermediate supports for thesections being continuously held in engagement therewith.

' V 8. An expanding pulley having, in com bination, a pair of endmembers connected by tie rods, a shaft rotatable inthe end members, theaxis ofthe shaft coinciding with that of the pulley, a driving elementsecured to one of said members, adjusting members slidably engaging saidtie rods, means to impart movement to the adjusting members axially ofsaid shaft on relative rotation of the shaft, segmental sections attheperiphery of the pulley, and means-to impart movement to the sections

